Hand hygiene is currently considered the most important means of preventing the spread of disease in health care settings.

Townies have frequently asked this question and several have reported using a variety of hand sanitizers. Of course, hand washing is still performed throughout the day, but alcohol-based hand rubs do have a place in the dental office. The importance of hand washing was introduced by Ignaz Semmelweis in Vienna and Oliver Wendell Holmes in Boston when they published studies showing the link between hand hygiene and the spread of infectious diseases. Hand hygiene is currently considered the most important means of preventing the spread of disease in health care settings.

The first hand-washing film was produced by the U.S. Public Health Department in 1961, but it wasn’t until 1980 that hand hygiene guidelines were published. Until recently, antiseptic agents were recommended for hand hygiene only in an emergency or where sinks were unavailable. In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defined alcohol-based hand rubs as the standard of care for hand hygiene in health care settings. Hand washing with soap and water is still indicated to remove germ-carrying debris from the hands. A review of the research published between 1992 and 2002 revealed that alcohol-based hand rubs removed organisms more effectively, require less time and irritated the skin less often than washing with soap and water. This may be due to the fact that so many people rush through hand washing and do not effectively remove bacteria.

According to the latest World Health Organization recommendations, hand washing using soap and water should take 40 to 60 seconds, and using an alcohol-based hand rub should take 20 to 30 seconds. The trouble is, most people report hand hygiene of rubbing less than 15 seconds. It’s a bit like toothbrushing. We recommend to our patients three minutes of toothbrushing, yet most people spend a little more than 30 seconds brushing. To most people, even 15 seconds feels like a very long time to wash their hands. Since the soap, water and paper towels dry and irritate the skin, people tend to rush through the hand washing process.

The introduction of the alcohol-based hand rubs provides another option. According to the research, healthcare personnel are more likely to use an alcohol-based hand rub than soap and water. It’s all about convenience and hand comfort. The alcohol rubs produce less drying and skin irritation compared to soap and water. This surprised many hygienists, who expected the alcohol rubs to be drying, but in fact, just the opposite occurs.

The standard against which hand rubs are measured is a 60% isopropanol alcohol. When considering an alcohol-based hand-rub consider the effectiveness of the antiseptic agent, the fragrance, and the effects it has on the skin. Alcohol-based hand-rubs are now an important option for hand hygiene.

This short piece was inspired by a post from fd1974 from the thread “Are you still washing your hands?” on www.hygienetown.com. Look for future commentaries inspired by townies like you. If you would like to submit an article for consideration, please contact Trisha O’Hehir at trisha@hygienetown.com.